Glow in the Dark Aquatic Protective Eyewear

ABSTRACT

A glow in the dark aquatic protective eyewear visible under low light conditions is disclosed. The protective eyewear comprises a body and a securing strap that are photoluminescent giving off visible light once sufficiently charged by a recharging source such as sunlight. The protective eyewear may comprise a swimming goggle or a diving mask with or without a snorkel tube.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to a protective eyewear for divers orswimmers that is visible under low light conditions or in the dark, andmore particularly to a dive mask, and swimming goggles that glow in thedark.

BACKGROUND

Diving masks and goggles are used by swimmers, snorkelers, and divers toprotect their eyes and enhance visibility under water. Traditionaldiving and swimming eyewear may include a mask with a lens that issecurable to the user's face, and may also have a snorkel tube fordiving or swimming close to the surface of the water. The snorkel tubeis typically attachable to or is otherwise integrated with the mask.While traditional diving masks and swim goggles improve the vision ofdivers and swimmers when under water, these diving masks and swimgoggles do not increase the visibility of the user to others. Visibilityconditions under water and at the surface of the water are often lessthan optimal, especially at night. Water generally reflects and/orrefracts light at the surface and may also be dirty or murky, furtherobscuring the diver or swimmer from an observer or dive/swim partner.Additionally, even with a dive light, the visibility of the diver orswimmer to others at night or at depth is greatly reduced.

Poor visibility conditions make swimming or diving in water a dangerousactivity. Many divers dive with a partner and/or have a companionremaining at the surface for safety. Additionally, many divers andswimmers use dive lights to increase visibility while under water.However, a dive light is only effective if pointed directly at theperson under water from a close distance. Similarly, surface lightsgenerally mostly reflect off of the water surface significantly limitingthe penetration of light into the water. Furthermore, these lights mayfail or malfunction during a dive or swim.

Therefore, any diving or swimming equipment that enhances the visibilityof the diver or swimmer to others would be advantageous. The proposedinvention allows a dive or swim partner or companion to better visualizethe diver or swimmer in or under water under low-light, dark or otherpoor visibility conditions. Traditional dive gear and aquatic eyewear donot have a built in enhanced visibility component. This limitation mayhinder the ability of a companion or rescuer to easily locate the diveror swimmer under emergency or even ordinary situations. The improvedability of a companion to visualize a diver or swimmer while in thewater enhances the diver's or swimmer's safety and increases thelikelihood of the companion or rescuer of visualizing the diver orswimmer when in or under the water.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the limitations of theprior art by providing a unique and useful glow in the dark protectiveaquatic eyewear that magnifies the visibility of a user when in or underwater especially under poor visibility conditions such as after dark. Inone embodiment, the subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in oneaspect thereof, comprises a protective aquatic eyewear visible under lowlight conditions under water. Preferably, the protective aquatic eyewearcomprises at least one glow in the dark element that is photoluminescentfollowing a sufficient exposure to light. The protective aquatic eyewearmay further comprise a snorkel tube that glows in the dark as well.

The protective aquatic eyewear may comprise a protective face mask forprotecting the user's face while in the water and for enhancing theuser's ability to see under water. Additionally, the glow in the darkelement emits visible light allowing a companion, diving, or swimmingbuddy to better see the diver or swimmer especially under low lightconditions or when there is poor visibility in the water. Furthermore,the glow in the dark element is rechargeable following sufficientexposure to a recharging source such as sunlight. The protective facemask improves the safety of the diver by allowing a companion to seewhere the diver is located at all times.

In another embodiment, the glow in the dark protective eyewear comprisesa swimming goggle for protecting the user's eyes while in or underwater. The swimming goggle comprises at least one glow in the darkelement that is photoluminescent following a sufficient exposure tolight. The swimming goggle improves the safety of a swimmer by allowinga companion to see where the swimmer is located at all times.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects are described herein in connection with thefollowing description and the annexed drawings. These aspects areindicative of the various ways in which the principles disclosed hereincan be practiced and all aspects and equivalents thereof are intended tobe within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a protective eyewear inaccordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the protective eyewear used asa diving mask and a snorkel in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the protective eyewear used asa swimming goggle in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsare used to refer to like elements throughout. In the followingdescription, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It maybe evident, however, that the novel embodiments can be practiced withoutthese specific details. In other instances, well known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate adescription thereof. The intention is to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of theclaimed subject matter. The invention relates generally to a glow in thedark aquatic protective eyewear for enhancing the visibility of a userto others while in or under water under low light or other conditionswhere there is less than ideal visibility.

The invention relates generally to a photoluminescent protective facemask or swimming goggle for making a wearer more visible in or underwater under less than optimal visibility conditions. Referring initiallyto the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a protective eyewear 100 for usewhen diving or swimming, such as a diving or snorkel face mask. Theprotective eyewear 100 is usable by divers, swimmers, snorkelers, andthe like, or by anyone desiring eye protection and increased visibilityto others while in or under water.

The protective eyewear 100 comprises a body 102 and a lens 112integrated into the body 102. Typically, the body 102 is manufacturedfrom a rubber or elastomeric material, such as but not limited toaluminum, silflex, poly vinyl chloride, plastic, rubber, silicone,neoprene, nylon laminate, and the like that is molded so as to snuglyconform to a human face preventing water from penetrating a seal createdbetween the body 102 and the face so that a portion of the face around auser's eyes remains relatively dry. This allows the user to maintainbetter visibility under water.

The body 102 comprises an inner surface (not shown) and an outer surface104, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface 104 is visibleunder low light conditions, such as at night or on a cloudy day. Whilethe protective eyewear 100 is typically a diving mask or a swimminggoggle, any protective eyewear useable in the water such as, but notlimited to a diving face piece, a self contained breathing apparatusface mask, a re-breather mask, a supplied air face piece, a snorkelingmask, and the like as is known in the art are contemplated by theinventor as well.

Furthermore, as the outer surface 104 is generally visible under lowlight conditions or in the dark, at least a portion of the outer surface104 comprises at least one glow in the dark element 106. The at leastone glow in the dark element 106 emits visible light following asufficient exposure to a light source. For example, leaving theprotective eyewear 100 out in sunlight for a few hours is generallysufficient to recharge the at least one glow in the dark element 106.The luminosity of the at least one glow in the dark element 106 isgenerally dependent on the chemical composition of the glow in the darkmaterial, the length of exposure to the light source, and lumen orradiation output of the light source.

The body 102 may be coated, layered, or impregnated with aphotoluminescent material such as, but not limited to phosphors,europium activated strontium aluminate, copper or silver activated zincsulfide, and the like to produce the photo luminescence. However, thesematerials are not intended as a limitation as there are a wide varietyof other photoluminescent materials known to those of skill in the artthat may be used as well. Alternatively, the at least one glow in thedark element 106 may comprise an attachable phosphorescent panel, decal,patch, decorative design, and the like of any shape or configuration.Attachment of the at least one glow in the dark element 106 to the body102 may then be accomplished by sewing, radio frequency welding,adhesive, and the like.

While phosphor based photoluminescent materials are preferred materialsto generate the glow in the dark property, chemiluminescent materialsand fluorescent materials may be used as well. As such, a combination ofdifferent glow in the dark materials may be beneficial as differentmaterials have different glow time periods and may emit a plurality ofdifferent colors. This may be advantageous as different colors may havebetter visibility in a variety of environmental conditions. For example,one color may be more visible in murky water, whereas a different colormay be more visible in clear water. Similarly, the protective eyewear100 may further comprise a reflective element (not shown) in conjunctionwith the at least one glow in the dark element 106 for increasingvisibility of the protective eyewear 100 under different environmentalconditions such as moonlight.

In a preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2, the protectiveeyewear 100 is a diving mask wherein at least a portion of the outersurface 104 of the body 102 is covered, lined, or coated with thephosphorescent compound so that the body 102 glows in the dark followingsufficient exposure to the recharging source such as sunlight. The body102 further comprises a mask frame 108 and a mask skirt 110. The maskframe 108 holds the lens 112 in place within the body 102 of theprotective eyewear 100. The mask skirt 110 helps provide a tight sealbetween the user's face and the body 102 to keep water out of the user'seyes.

The protective eyewear 100 further comprises a securing strap 114 forsecuring the body 102 around the user's face. As with the body 102, thesecuring strap 114 may also be coated or impregnated with a glow in thedark material as discussed supra so that at least a portion of thesecuring strap 114 has glow in the dark properties. The securing strap114 may comprise an adjustment buckle 116 for adjusting a length of thesecuring strap 114 to ensure a snug fit around the user's face, and astrap keeper 118 for keeping excess strapping material secure to theprotective eyewear 100.

The protective eyewear 100 may further comprise a snorkel tube 120secured to or for use in conjunction with the diving mask. The snorkeltube 120 may comprise a mouthpiece 122, a snorkel securing strap 124, atube 126, and an anti-splash valve 128. Similarly, the snorkel tube 120or any portion thereof may be coated or impregnated with the glow in thedark material as discussed supra so that at least a portion of thesnorkel tube 120 has glow in the dark properties.

In another preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 3, a protectiveeyewear 200 is a swimming goggle comprising a body 202, a pair of lenses212 integrated into the body 202, and a securing strap 214. The securingstrap 214 is adjustably attached to the body 202 for securing the body202 to a user's head. As in the previous embodiment, the body 202comprises an outer surface 204 with at least one glow in the darkelement 206. Similarly, the securing strap 214 may comprise at least oneglow in the dark element 206 as well. The at least one glow in the darkelement 206 may comprise any of the photoluminescent, chemiluminescent,or fluorescent materials as described supra.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus,while the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof isshown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary,the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to beconstrued as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joinedtogether, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of rangesof values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value isincorporated into the specification as if it were individually recitedherein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitationon the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language inthe specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimedelement as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variationsof those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventorexpects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, andthe inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes allmodifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in theclaims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, anycombination of the above-described elements in all possible variationsthereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicatedherein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective eyewear comprising: a bodycomprising an outer surface visible in the dark; a lens integratedwithin the body; and a securing strap that is visible in the dark,wherein the securing strap is attached to the body for securing the bodyto a user's head.
 2. The protective eyewear of claim 1, wherein theprotective eyewear comprises at least one of the following devices: adiving face piece, a diving mask, a snorkeling mask or a swimminggoggle.
 3. The protective eyewear of claim 2, wherein at least a portionof the outer surface of the body glows in the dark following exposure toa source of light.
 4. The protective eyewear of claim 3, wherein thebody and the securing strap are coated with a layer of photoluminescentmaterial.
 5. The protective eyewear of claim 4, wherein the photoluminescent material comprises zinc sulfide or strontium aluminate. 6.The protective eyewear of claim 5, wherein the diving mask furthercomprises a snorkel tube securable to the body.
 7. A protective eyewearfor use as a swimming goggle comprising: a body comprising an outersurface; a pair of lenses integrated within the body; and a securingstrap attached to the body for securing the body to a user's head,wherein the body or the securing strap further comprise at least oneglow in the dark element.
 8. The protective eyewear of claim 7, whereinthe glow in the dark element is a photoluminescent material impregnatedwithin the outer surface of the body or into the securing strap.
 9. Theprotective eyewear of claim 8, wherein the photoluminescent materialcomprises zinc sulfide or strontium aluminate.
 10. The protectiveeyewear of claim 7, wherein the glow in the dark element comprises aphosphor.
 11. The protective eyewear of claim 7, wherein the glow in thedark element is fluorescent.
 12. The protective eyewear of claim 11,wherein the diving goggle fluoresces a plurality of colors.
 13. Aprotective eyewear for use as a diving mask comprising: a bodycomprising an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of the outersurface comprises a phosphorescent compound; and a lens integratedwithin the body; a securing strap attached to the body for securing thebody to a user's head; and a snorkel tube securable to the bodycomprising at least one glow in the dark element.
 14. The protectiveeyewear of claim 13, wherein the snorkel tube is coated or impregnatedwith a layer of photoluminescent material.
 15. The protective eyewear ofclaim 14, wherein the body further comprises a reflective elementattached to the outer surface.
 16. The protective eyewear of claim 13,wherein the glow in the dark element is chemiluminescent.
 17. Theprotective eyewear of claim 16, wherein the phosphorescent compoundcomprises zinc sulfide or strontium aluminate.
 18. The protectiveeyewear of claim 17, wherein the glow in the dark element isrechargeable in sunlight.
 19. The protective eyewear of claim 18,wherein the snorkel tube further comprises a reflective portion.
 20. Theprotective eyewear of claim 19, wherein the phosphorescent compound isintegrated in a decal, a patch, an emblem, or a panel attachable to thebody.